Dr. Jelena Begović is a Serbian scientist who has spent over 27 years exploring the fascinating worlds of molecular genetics, genetic engineering, and biotechnology — and loving every minute of it. With more than 25 years dedicated to research, innovation policy, intellectual property, and technology transfer, she’s been a driving force behind building Serbia’s innovation ecosystem — from launching the country’s very first biotech spin-out from academia to shaping national strategies for science and innovation.
From 2013 to 2022, she led the IMGGE, proving that great science thrives where great leadership meets curiosity. When the COVID pandemic hit, she rolled up her sleeves and coordinated the rapid setup of high-throughput testing labs in major Serbian cities because science never runs from challenges - it runs toward them.
Since 2022, as Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, she has been on a mission to future-proof Serbia’s research landscape. She led the transformation of 20 research institutes and championed bold infrastructure projects like the BIO4 Campus — a European hub where researchers, startups, faculties, and industry collide in the best possible way, advancing biotechnology, information technologies, and AI.
Her influence extends well beyond Serbia. She has represented the country at the United Nations, UNESCO, the European Research Council, and the World Economic Forum. In 2023, she proposed to the UN what would become the “International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development” (2024–2033) — a milestone adopted by the UN General Assembly on August 25, 2023.
Also in 2023, she became the first woman in the 42-year history of the UN International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) to chair its Board of Governors. With 69 scientific papers published and numerous collaborative projects led across Europe and beyond, she is equally at home in the lab, at the negotiation table, or in high-level policy discussions. She has also served as an expert for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the World Bank on Serbia’s Smart Specialization Strategy.
Jelena’s career is about connecting the dots: a bridge between science, policy, and global collaboration, built with the vision of creating a society and economy resilient and smart enough to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Outside of work, she’s a sports enthusiast — tennis, sailing, and aikido are her passions (she even holds a black belt, 1st DAN, in aikido).
Favorite motto? “The future belongs to those who see things that are not obvious.” The only windows through which we can see the future are knowledge and creativity.
